Means for preventing interference in assembling self-playing pianos.



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EBIERENGE IN ASSEMBLING 8 APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1908.

' MEANS FOR PREVENTING INT ELF PLAYING PIANOS.

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Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

UNITED sra rns PATENT OFFICE.-

EMORY O. HISCOOK, Oh (,IIIGAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. KIMBALLCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COItPORATION OI ILLINOIS.

DEANS FOR PREVENTING INTERFERENCE IN ASSEMBLING SELF-PLAYING .PIANOS.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

7 Application filed September 25, 1908. Serial No. 454,768.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMORY O. HISCOCK, a

citizen of the United States, residing'in Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Imwhereby thepiano action is actuated, di-

reetly under the forward ends of that part of-the piano action,variously known among piano manufacturers.as'the \vippen or jack whip,the \wippen being provided with vertical adjustlng screws whereby .thecontact with the lifters may be regulated. The bottom of the adjustingscrews, are customarily covered with leather or felt disks in order tocushion the contact between them and the. lifters, and render itnoiseless.

In assembling the pneumatic action and the piano action, diflicnlty hasheretofore: been caused by the interference which it is very difi'ioultto prevent, between the litters and the wippens, and by which-thecushion ing disks are very apt to be knocked off the screws, tl'usnecessitating laborious repairs. To obviate this difliculty has been myobject in the present invention, the nature of which is fully set forthbelow.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure. l is a partial vertical section ofa self playing piano embodying my improvement. and Fig. 2 is an enlargedhorizontal section, from which the pneumatic. action and the pianoaction have been omitted.

In said drawing, 3 represents the keys of the piano, 4 one of thewippens connected to the corresponding key by the extension 5,

jnsting screw 10 with which 'thecorrespond- -mg wippen is provided, andwhich is provided with a cushioning disk 11 of leather or other softmaterial, usually secured to it 'by cement or other adhesive.

To obviate the interference in assembling the lifters with thescrcws I0,and their cushioning disks 11, I place immediately under the series ofkeys a bar 12 of rectangular shape in cross section and hinge thesamenear one of its edges by hinges 13 to a stationary part of the keybed. and attach to the bar a lever or handle 14: by which it may berocked on said hinges. By moving this lever from the full line to .thedotted position of Fig. 1. it will be seen that the bar 12 will berocked so that it will lift the series of keys above their normalpositions somewhat. and in so doing, the \vippens will also be liftedsnfiiciently to'clear the litters and thus allow the positioning of thelifters without any interference of the kind mentioued. It is ofconrseonly necessary to relain the lifting bar in this position duringthe time occupied in positioning the pneumatic action in the instrument.

Instead of locating the bar 12 under the keys as above described. Iattain the same result by arranging a bar 12. similar to the bar 12under the series of wippens as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. I. Thisbar is located insnch relation to the \vippens that when it is rockedonits hinges or pivots 13 by the handle 14, it will raise the wippens.

from their normal positions sutliciently to prevent. the interferencementioned.

I claim lhe combination in an automatic piano.

of the ordinary piano action for manual playing. a pneumatic action forautomatlc playing, and means whereby the wippens of. the

piano action may be raised temporarily toavoid interference with thepneumatic action while positioning the latter.

- EMORY C. I-IISCOCK. 'W i t-nesses:

II. M. MUNDAY, PEARL ABRAMs.

